FTSE 250 movers: Investors toast Marston's profit rise

2nd Dec 2010 14:04

Shares in Marston's rose after the pub group and brewer posted a rise in profits despite tough trading in the year to October 2, helped by its shift towards food-oriented pubs. The company, which operates centrally managed pubs such as the Pitcher and Piano chain as well as leasing premises to landlords, saw revenues climb by 0.9% from the previous year to £650.7m, with pre-tax profits climbing to £73.5m from £70.3m. Sports Direct International is among the best performers of the day as shares in fellow sports retailer JJB Sports fall sharply. JJB revealed that it may breach its banking covenants, which would benefit Sports Direct from greater market share if its rival collapses.Soft drinks group Britvic is the hardest hit in the FTSE 250 despite its full-year profits rising as sales continued fizzing. While its full-year dividend increased by 11.3% to 16.7p, the group says it expects "the consumer and cost environment to remain challenging".FTSE 250 - RisersAshtead Group (AHT) 143.00p +8.75%Travis Perkins (TPK) 881.50p +7.63%Marston's (MARS) 106.60p +5.96%Sports Direct International (SPD) 134.40p +5.83%Premier Foods (PFD) 17.50p +5.80%Bovis Homes Group (BVS) 352.50p +4.48%Bellway (BWY) 539.50p +4.45%Keller Group (KLR) 543.00p +4.42%Hays (HAS) 113.10p +4.24%Persimmon (PSN) 359.50p +4.11%FTSE 250 - FallersBritvic (BVIC) 467.10p -4.79%Gartmore Group Ltd. (GRT) 94.70p -3.27%Ocado Group (OCDO) 150.00p -2.72%Premier Oil (PMO) 1,840.00p -2.13%Micro Focus International Plc (MCRO) 353.20p -1.73%Unite Group (UTG) 192.60p -1.53%Xchanging (XCH) 100.90p -1.46%UK Commercial Property Trust (UKCM) 76.10p -1.17%AG Barr (BAG) 1,137.00p -1.13%Caledonia Investments (CLDN) 1,793.00p -0.94%